Ed_Haynes

I know the feeling, Gilbert. So many wondrous things must be there, but . . . . This is one reason I usually ask the Honoured Researcher to prepare a translation -- it will at least be a start!

Here's version (= attempt) 1.2. Improving, but not "there" yet! Medal_names.pdf Medal_names.pdf

I am really (really) grateful for this, for I think we have (finally) captured teh real name of the "Medal for Unselfishness"!

Nice one, rare one. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, Zorigo!

Pretty certain it is here on the forum . . . we can both look.

While there's no CH image over at the OMSA database http://www.omsa.org/photopost/index.php you may find other images of use. (Though I cannot pretend to understand your project.) Megan Robertson's fine site does have an image, however: http://www.medals.org.uk/united-kingdom/un...-kingdom026.htm

Some of it, I suspect, may be language. You have it, but what does it say?! A shame these are ignored, for these are nice, even though they don't have pretty enamel!

Yes, that's what it is.

They seem happy in their new pasture.

Very tasty eye-candy! Many thanks!

My thoughts exactly. An unenameled (unfinished?) Mao badge mounted up for eBay consumption? I love Mao badges in their own right, but . . .

Better dealers (Chris Dixon, Liverpool Medals) usually have "museum copies" (= pretty fakes). So, I guess, does eBay, but many of these look like "prizes" from boxes of Cracker Jacks.

In between the often insane handwriting and the specialised vocabulary and abbreviations, you may still need someone with specialised knowledge in the particular Russian used in the documents. My colleague, who specialises in Russian history (late imperial, early Soviet) and has years of research experience in central and provincial archives often has problems and I have to run back to the researcher and beg "will you translate just this little bit please".

I'd suggest a good reference book. British Battles and Medals or even Medal Yearbook. All are British medals and were awarded throughout the "Commonwealth" and Empire, including in South Africa. (Your distinctions/categories are part of the confusion?) The only award in yoiur list that was restricted to South Africa is the Africa Service Medal which was awarded to South Africans for WWII service (similar to other medals for Canadians, Indians, Australians, New Zealanders, etc.); this was, in large part, due to the restrictive award conditions that accompanied the Defence Medal which was, in essence, a "Defence of Britain Medal". There is some interesting confusion over the "Order of Merit" award. Until 1902, it was one award but when a new award of the same name was mistakenly created, the older award had to be renamed the "Indian Order of Merit". Your "Boer War Medal" can be any one of several things, the two British or the two South African Boer campaign awards. Many of these, by the way, are shown in various threads on this forum, so you might think about looking around.

While I can't recall anything remotely like in in the two books I use, shall look again, but I also cannot read the language. Frankly, this think feels all wrong, from the general motif to the suspender, but Chinese ODMs always hold surprises! Still, it looks like an "EBay Special" to me!

No, none.

For a long time, there have been no US-Mint-issued medals, so, I guess, no "official" medals. They come from "official" suppliers/manufacturers. They sell like crazy, on and off the internet, even on eBay. As with French or Belgian medals (or even German medals) what is "real" and what is not? The question is what is "period", but from which period?? Unless you have a named (officially??) medal or a documented group {"group?) you never know and even then you may not. So much easier in the UK where the mint makes and disatributres medals. But if current lunatic "patriotic" congressional legislation succeeds, all trade in US medals will be stopped (at least for US citizens), so . . . .

Envy you Albert! Have enough trouble with my few languages (mainly South Aasian) and my recent efforts to pick up some Mongolian. You mind if I post a few for your reading pleasure? My colleague in Russian history grows grumpy when I ask him too often!

My novice eyes do not like it, not one bit.

Shabash! Not having much experience in researching natives (of the British Isles), I just never think of sources like that.

If these were Indian Army officers (rather than British Army), personnel records should reside in the Indian Office Records, now Thatcherised into the British Library (and, therefore, hard to use). The Indian Army Lists -- many of which I have -- won't help in answering your questions, sorry.

Thanks, Gerd (and all). One thing that surprises me is that these recent awards can be researched, even for recipients who are still living. But maybe Tzar Putin's minions will put a stop to this (too)? Until then . . .

This one has wanted re-scanning; it just got it. Major Vladimir Fedorovich Dubrovin See: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3222

Please, can anyone fill gaps or refine my "readings"? Thanks.